Fought, But Un-Won
by Juliet Knighly
Summary: "If he touched her, he couldn't talk to her, if he loved her he couldn't leave, if he spoke he couldn't listen, if he fought he couldn't win..." Cato and Clove, from training to the reaping to the arena, and how they ever-so-slowly fell in love. *One-Shot*


**AN: First Hunger Games fic in awhile. Standard disclaimers apply, please review, the usual. But siriusly(lol), if you could review, I will give you a cookie! :D**

* * *

Clove strode up to the tall building. It was her first day of Career training, and she was very excited. Though only ten years old, she walked with an air of importance, a confidence unmatched by anyone else in the Training Center. Except maybe Cato.  
The two of them were quick-witted and as sly as foxes. Nobody objected to them being partnered together for training, because nobody else could keep up with them. They excelled in everything, though each had their favorite weapons. And both were lethal by the time they were twelve.

.  
When she was sixteen, Clove felt she was ready for the Games, and decided not to wait until next year to volunteer. When the District escort called for the tributes, her voice rang out, clear and unwavering.

"I volunteer as female tribute for District Two."

A round of applause went up as she stepped onto the stage, her silver dress shining and her midnight hair flowing around her shoulders.

Cato hadn't expected her to offer herself until next year. He wasn't worried, she'd been ready since she was a young teen. But when the escort asked who would like the honor of representing the district as male tribute, there was just a hint of worry in his voice as he volunteered.

On the train, they met their mentors. Enobaria and Brutus. The two had identical personalities; cold, like the stone their district mined. The girl was frightening, but wasn't the psychopath everyone believed her to be. The boy was the same; frightening, but perfectly stable-minded. They taught the children much about sponsors on the train ride, knowing how critical to survival the audience could be. Arriving in the Capitol, the older two took their leave, telling the kids to remember that it was all about the show.

During the parade later that night, the teenagers smiled and waved, sugaring the crowd and country. Though they were out-shined by the tributes from District Twelve, they got their share of attention. Looking at the flaming couple, however, Cato found himself jealous over the fact that the boy and girl could hold hands and comfort each other. He buried the feeling, knowing the unacceptability of this emotion, and turned his attention to the president.

During training, he watched her. Her speed and grace outranked all of the others, even the other careers. She was lethal, and everyone knew it. He saw her smug grin, as the girl from District One frowned slightly and knocked another arrow. He saw her sigh in satisfaction when she looked over the dummies in front of her, each with a blade embedded perfectly in the bullseye. She smirked when she caught him staring, and he blushed ever-so-slightly as he turned back to his target.

When their scores were released, they were pleased to see the high marks. However, when the girl from twelve garnered a higher score than Clove, hatred pooled in her eyes, and in a whisper she vowed that she would kill Katniss Everdeen.

Later, when they were dressed in their interview clothes, Cato found he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She was gorgeous, wearing a shimmery orange gown and having similarly colored flecks of glitter sprinkled over her face and hair. He couldn't get over how perfect she was, no matter how hard he tried to shove the feeling down. She caught him staring again and smiled, making his heart beat faster. He smiled back, and then it was her turn on stage.

That night, he'd stolen out of his room to get a breath of air, and he'd run into her. Quite literally.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't see you. Why are you up?" He questioned, extending a hand to help her to her feet.

"I need some fresh air. What about you?"

"Same."

They walked out onto the balcony together and sat down. After a few minutes, she rested her head against his shoulder.

"Do you think there's a God?" She asked, staring up at the sky. He thought for a moment.

"I'm not sure. I look around, and I don't think life could've just spontaneously happened. But then there's poverty and disease and pain, and I don't think a God would let that happen. So I don't know."

She gave a nod, and continued to be silent.

Another minute passed before he suddenly leaned down and kissed her. It was careful and slow, as though she were a china doll that would break if he moved wrong.

When they finally went back inside, she crawled into bed with him. They slept curled against each other, surrounded by warmth and unafraid for a moment to show feeling and love. She woke early the next morning and went back to her room, so as not to arouse suspicion, and he watched her go with loving eyes.

.  
From the moment he stepped into the arena, he was protecting her with everything he had. No one was going to touch her, not if he had a say in it. He envied the tributes from Twelve. They could openly display and flaunt their "love." He and Clove couldn't so much as brush hands.  
Brutus had commanded him to "befriend" the girl from One, even though he despised her. Knowing the usefulness of his mentors advice, however, he did as he'd been asked. As soon as the alliance was formed, he began flirting with Glimmer.  
Clove watched, and swallowed the pain that'd suddenly filled her. Turning away, she made up an excuse to go find water, knowing that the camera's would be trained on anything but her at the moment.  
When she located a tiny spring, she looked down at her reflection whilst filling a few canteens. Two drops rolled down her face and joined the water in the pool, as she silently sobbed.  
He saw her walk away from the group and his gut clenched. The blond in front of him was annoying and vain, and the girl that'd just left was absolutely perfect. He cursed himself and Brutus for doing this to her, but focused on the task at hand.

.  
Glimmer was dead. Katniss had thrown a nest of Tracker Jacker's down on them, and she was too slow to escape. Cato was relieved that he no longer had to pretend he liked her, and in doing so hurt the girl he really loved.  
Clove was glad the stuck-up girl was dead. Now she didn't have to watch their sappy affections.  
She'd been treating her stings when Cato had found her, and he'd aided her in applying crushed leaves to the swelled areas. This gesture spoke louder than words, telling her that he was sorry for having to feign affection for Glimmer. She tucked a stray lock behind her ear, wordlessly forgiving him.

.  
He hadn't wanted that plan. It'd been her idea. He was to scout the area for "lover boy" and "fire girl," while she got their pack from the Cornucopia. It had went better than expected when Clove was able to successfully tackle Katniss. But then Thresh had come along.

"Cato! Cato!" She screamed. Hearing her in danger, he sprinted as fast as he could for the large black horn. He had to keep her safe. They were going to go home together. He heard a scuffling off to his right, but didn't bother to look.

When he broke through the tree line, his heart plummeted into his stomach. There was Clove, lying on the ground and breathing heavily. He glimpsed Katniss starting to dash back towards the woods as he ran forward, but he didn't care. He dropped to his knees.

"Clove! Clove please, stay with me! Look at me!" He commanded, taking her hand and trying to get her eyes to focus on him.

"Cato...I love you...and there is a God..." She whispered. She took a couple more heavy breaths, then was still.

"No! Please! You can't leave me! Please Clove! Come back! I love you!" He shouted, cradling her body as tears poured down his face.

In another part of the arena, Katniss heard a heart-wrenching wail come from the Cornucopia.

He'd done it. He'd killed Thresh. And he'd made sure it was as painful as possible. But now... it was as if it didn't really matter weather he went home or not. She was gone. He couldn't be happy without her. So what was the point? But sometimes survival is just instinct. The body keeps fighting long after the will to live has ceased. And it was no different when the mutts attacked.  
He ran, just as he'd done earlier, towards the black structure. The huge doggish creatures were right behind him, as he scurried up one wall of the Cornucopia. They were jumping and barely missing him. All except one. One with startlingly familiar hazel eyes.  
Suddenly he notices them. Fire girl and lover boy. The rage boils over, and he yanks the quiver off her back.  
The boy and him began to brawl, though in his weakened state Cato found it harder and harder to deflect the blows.  
After a lengthy scuffle, she had her arrow trained on him, and he had Peeta in a headlock, ready to snap his neck.

"Go on. Shoot. Then we both go down and you win. Go on. I'm dead anyway!" He says. It's true. There's no way he's surviving this, not unless a miracle happened. And he doesn't want to survive anyways.

"I always was, right? I didn't know that 'till now." He then turns and shouts to the cameras.

"Hows that? Is that what they want?! Huh?!"

Seeing her look away for a moment, he gives a crazed laugh.

"No! I can still do this... I can still do this... One more kill. It's the only thing I know how to do... Bring pride to my district... Not that it matters..." And it really doesn't anymore. He realized too late that he wanted to spend forever with the girl with the knives. His Clove.

Then a pain shoots through his arm, as her arrow pierces his hand. Releasing his grip, the boy turns and punches him in the stomach, sending him flying to the ground, where the mutts begin to devour him. All but one again.

"Please... Please..." He begs her. He pleads with her to end his pain, as a light opens above him. He then utters another "please," but this one is for the deity now standing above him to forgive him for all his wrongs. Another pain through his heart, then all is white.

.  
He stands in the light as a girl runs towards him, her midnight hair flying behind her.

"Cato! You're here!" She shouts as she charges into his arms.

"Clove..." He whispers, and they hold each other closer, their lips crashing together, both overjoyed to spend eternity in each others embrace. Which is exactly what they get.

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**I made myself tear up when I imagined Cato screaming and holding Clove's dead body. Gah, I did it again. Please review, pretty please with Finnick's sugar cubes on top?  
~Juliet**


End file.
